Lathrobium trabale, Assing, 2015

Assing, Volker, 2015, New species and additional records of Lathrobium and Elytrobium from the Palaearctic region, with special reference to the fauna of East Yunnan (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 65 (1), pp. 41-74 : 71-72

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.21248/contrib.entomol.65.1.41-74
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/C92CAF45-FF55-4B3D-1A29-360A1C92F8BA
treatment provided by	Carolina
scientific name	Lathrobium trabale
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Lathrobium trabale View in CoL spec. nov.

( Figs 135–142 View Figs 126–142 )

Type material: Holotype : “ JAPAN, Kyoto Pref., Honshu , 6.VIII.1980, S. Naomi / P.M. Hammond, BMNH (E) 2003–84 / Holotypus  Lathrobium trabale spec. nov., det. V. Assing 2014” ( BMNH).

Paratypes: 1  [teneral], 7 : same data as holotype ( BMNH, cAss) .

Etymology: The specific epithet is an adjective derived from the Latin noun trabs (beam) and alludes to the massive dorsal plate of the aedeagus.

Description: Size subject to distinct sexual dimorphism; body length 8.2–8.8 mm (), 6.8–8.0 mm (); length of forebody 4.1 mm (), 3.4–3.7 mm (). Habitus as in Fig. 135 View Figs 126–142 . Coloration: body blackish-brown; legs yellowish-red; antennae reddish.

Head ( Fig. 136 View Figs 126–142 ) approximately as broad as long; punctation moderately coarse and sparse, very sparse in median dorsal portion; interstices with distinct microreticulation. Eyes weakly projecting from lateral contours of head, approximately half as long as postocular region in dorsal view, or nearly so, and composed of> 50 ommatidia. Antenna 2.4 () or 2.0–2.1 () mm long.

Pronotum ( Fig. 136 View Figs 126–142 ) approximately 1.2 times as long as broad and 1.10–1.14 times as broad as head; punctation similar to that of head; impunctate midline moderately broad; interstices without microsculpture.

Elytra ( Fig. 136 View Figs 126–142 ) 0.54–0.60 times as long as pronotum, dilated posteriad; humeral angles weakly marked; punctation shallow and moderately dense; interstices without microsculpture. Hind wings completely reduced. Protarsomeres I–IV with pronounced sexual dimorphism.

Abdomen slightly broader than elytra; punctation very fine and extremely dense on all tergites ( Fig. 137 View Figs 126–142 ); posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe; tergite VIII with weakly convex posterior margin, without distinct sexual dimorphism.

: protarsomeres I–IV strongly dilated; sternite VII ( Fig. 138 View Figs 126–142 ) strongly transverse, otherwise without appreciable modifications; sternite VIII ( Fig. 139 View Figs 126–142 ) nearly as broad as long, with weakly defined and extensive cluster of stouter and darker setae in postero-median portion, posterior margin indistinctly concave in the middle, nearly truncate; aedeagus ( Fig. 140 View Figs 126–142 ) 1.7 mm long; ventral process long, slender, and apically acute both in lateral and in ventral view; dorsal plate with strongly sclerotized, robust, and long apical portion and with very short lamellate basal portion; apex of apical portion of dorsal plate with pronounced dorsal tooth.

: protarsomeres I–IV moderately dilated, distinctly less so than in male; sternite VIII ( Fig. 141 View Figs 126–142 ) oblong, approximately 1.2 times as long as broad, posteriorly distinctly produced, posterior margin truncate in the middle; tergite IX ( Fig. 142 View Figs 126–142 ) with very long and undivided antero-median portion; tergite X ( Fig. 142 View Figs 126–142 ) very small, only approximately one-third as long as antero-median portion of tergite IX.

Comparative notes: Only two species ( L. kuramaicum ASSING, 2013 ; L. uenoi WATANABE, 1980 ) have been recorded from Kyoto Prefecture; not a single Lathrobium species is known from the adjacent Shiga Prefecture ( ASSING 2013f). Lathrobium trabale is distinguished from the above two species, as well as from other species from neighbouring prefectures by the completely different male sexual characters. It additionally differs from L. kuramaicum , the geographically closest congener, by larger body size, the smaller head (in relation to the pronotum), the sparser punctation of the pronotum, and by the much denser punctation of the abdomen.

Distribution and natural history: The type material was collected at the southern foot of Mount Kibune, near the railway station Kibune, at approximately 35°06'N, 135°46'E (NAOMI pers. comm.). One of the paratypes is teneral.